Nine years after 300 South Asian immigrants, majority of them Indians, drowned in the Malta-Sicily water channel, an Italian High Court heard the deposition of a non-governmental organisation representing the Indian victims' families.
Deposing before Sicily's High Court, Balwant Singh Khera, Chairman of Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission, alleged that fourteen criminals from international human trafficking mafia were involved in the 'mass murder,' which took place on December 25, 1996.
The mission presented various documents and video evidence it had collected in this regard, Khera told PTI over phone from Rome.
Khera alleged that the mafia had branches in all European and Asian countries.
Yusuf-II-Helal, the captain of the ship Yeohan, and Greek national C Zarvodkis brought the F-4 boat, belonging to the Second World War period, from Malta to ferry immigrants to Italy.
Khera told the court that there were 565 migrants on the Yeohan at the time of tragedy. They were charged between Rs 3-5 lakh each.
They were held captive for two months prior to the tragedy, were not even given bread and drinking water, and were tortured by their captors.
Yusuf Helal and his mafia members had illegal weapons and were in an inebriated state at time of tragedy, Khera alleged.
The 265 survivors had deposed before their respective embassies and the mission possessed video recordings of their statements, Khera said.
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